1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an advertising-effectiveness determination method, an advertising-effectiveness determination system, and an advertising-effectiveness determination program.
2. Discussion of the Background
Pay-per-click systems have been used as one method of advertising using web pages on the Internet. A pay-per-click system is a system in which an advertising agency charges an advertisement fee to an advertiser according to the number of times an item of advertisement information displayed on a web page is clicked.
For example, when advertisement information of the advertiser is posted on a web page of an advertisement-providing site and a user who has viewed the page selects (clicks) the advertisement information, the advertisement information is linked to a website managed by the advertiser and the user can view detailed information regarding the advertisement information. In addition, according to the number of clicks made on the advertisement information, the advertiser pays an advertisement fee to the administrator of the portal site.
This method is frequently used in portal (entrance) sites that have many users (viewers) and are capable of providing high advertising effectiveness. The administrator of the portal site establishes frames for advertisements as part of the site page, runs advertisements by lending the frames for advertisements to advertisers, and collects advertisement fees according to the number of clicks made on each item of advertisement information.
However, this pay-per-click system has a problem in that, when an advertiser does not have their own site, no site can be set to be linked to and no detailed information regarding the advertisement information can be provided. Moreover, because payment of an advertisement fee is generated simply through clicks made on advertisement information, “direct contact with users (clients)” cannot be obtained as the effect for the cost of advertising.
Moreover, because the advertisement fee is generated according to the number of clicks made even when a user unintentionally clicks the advertisement information or intentionally repeats clicking, the association between the advertising effectiveness and the advertisement fee may be decreased.
Therefore, another system has been suggested in which a phone number corresponding to each advertiser is posted on a web page of an advertisement-providing site along with the advertisement information, and when a user who has seen the information calls the advertiser, an advertisement fee is charged based on the establishment of the phone call. One of the systems using this advertising method is referred to as a Pay-Per-Call system, such as the one described in Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. 2005-115945, for example.
According to this Pay-Per-Call system, a phone call is made from a user, who has come into contact with the advertisement information, to the advertiser, and it is therefore easier for the advertiser to perceive the advertising effectiveness, which is preferable. Moreover, this system is preferable for users because a sense of security can be obtained by making a phone call directly to the advertiser, and detailed information regarding the advertisement information can be asked for directly from the advertiser. In addition, it is easier for the advertiser to obtain satisfaction with the charges of advertisement fees because the advertisement fees are charged based on the establishment of the phone call.
In the advertising method of this Pay-Per-Call system, another method has been performed in which the presence or absence of advertising effectiveness is determined depending on call duration and charging of the advertisement fee is adjusted based on the presence or absence of advertising effectiveness. In such a method, for example, if the call duration is less than 15 seconds, it is determined as “no advertising effectiveness” and the fee is not charged, and if the call duration is more than 15 seconds, it is determined as “presence of advertising effectiveness” and the advertiser is charged for the advertisement fee.
This method of determining the presence or absence of advertising effectiveness depending on the call duration is based on the premise that “if the call duration is long, in many cases, there is a detailed explanation regarding a product or transfer of information regarding payment between the user and the advertiser and it is likely that a commercial transaction has been effected” and the premise that “if the call duration is short, there is a low amount of transfer of information between the user and the advertiser and it is likely that a commercial transaction has not been effected.”
However, the length of the call duration may not reflect the degree of the advertising effectiveness as it is. For example, if the user asks many questions about a product, etc. and consequently decides not to purchase that product, a commercial transaction has not been effected even though the call duration is long and the advertiser cannot obtain advertising effectiveness. If the advertisement fee is charged depending on the call duration even in such a case, payment of the advertisement fee is required even though no advertising effectiveness has been obtained, which is disadvantageous to the advertiser.